The art contest is part of the educational outreach associated with the Breadfruit Festival — Hooulu ka ulu, which is Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Amy B.H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in South Kona. The contests celebrates the beauty of the breadfruit tree and fruit as well as the rich cultural heritage and future role of ulu in Hawaii.

In a mauka region of Kona there was once a band of ulu trees one-half mile wide and 18 miles long called kale ulu that produced as much as 36,000 tons of ulu fruit per year. Today, few of these trees remain.

Hooulu ka ulu is a project to revitalize ulu (breadfruit) as an attractive, delicious, nutritious, abundant, affordable, and culturally appropriate food which addresses Hawaii’s food security issues. The art contest will help raise awareness about the importance of ulu in Hawaii.

All Hawaii Island artists are invited to submit original 2D media artwork to the art contest.

Electronic submissions are due July 25 for initial judging and semi-finalists will be asked to bring original work to the Donkey Mill Art Center on Thursday, Aug. 11 for an artist’s reception and final judging.

The artwork of finalists will be displayed at the Breadfruit Festival. One winning piece will be selected to be reproduced into a collectable poster commemorating the Hooulu ka ulu project, which will be sold at the Breadfruit Festival and beyond as a fundraiser for the festival and project.